Consolidation

[Rebel Bert]

The bottom line is Mississippi could stand to eliminate 25 Superintendent offices and 10 or 12 counties saving money at the County office level.

[Chunky6617]

1 hour ago, Rebel Bert said:

Mt Olive showed up, showed out, a very prominent restaurant owner in Magee lives there  and was present. The children go to Simpson Academy.  The board voted 3-2 against. Hopewell kids shouldn't have to go to Seminary when you’re less than 15 minutes from Taylorsville, Mt Olive, or Collins.

Hopewell kids don’t have to go to Seminary. They can go anywhere in the county they want. Many of them choose to go to Seminary. 

[Wareaglefan1us]

Before Wayne County consolidated there were four High Schools. You had Beat Four, Buckatunna, Clara and Waynesboro Central. Now you just have Wayne County High School but you now have five K through Middle Schools  in those same schools that operated as high schools. Wayne County Never had more than one superintendent, you have more administrators now than ever, plus you’re keeping up just as many schools. So consolidation doesn’t always save money.

[Rebel Bert]

19 minutes ago, Wareaglefan1us said:

Before Wayne County consolidated there were four High Schools. You had Beat Four, Buckatunna, Clara and Waynesboro Central. Now you just have Wayne County High School but you now have five K through Middle Schools  in those same schools that operated as high schools. Wayne County Never had more than one superintendent, you have more administrators now than ever, plus you’re keeping up just as many schools. So consolidation doesn’t always save money.

Based on population i can see 2 superintendents in Jones, Rankin, Hinds, Forrest, Madison, etc. I can't see it in Scott, Newton, Jasper, etc.

[Bulldogs4]

On 8/27/2025 at 11:10 AM, Rebel Bert said:

The bottom line is Mississippi could stand to eliminate 25 Superintendent offices and 10 or 12 counties saving money at the County office level.

MS has 82 counties and AL 67 counties. And AL is slightly larger than MS geographically. 
We could cull it down to 50 counties and have one school district per county. 
Plus cull the legislature down to about 70 House Districts and about 30 Senate Districts. 
 

Way too much money floats around in the Central Office of each School District while the teachers are suffering from lack of everything.

Parental support, Financial Support, Supplies Support etc. 

[MSSportsGuy]

School district consolidation is needed much more than individual schools in most areas. There is literally no reason to have two or three superintendents in some of these counties that are so small other than "it's the way it's always been". 

 

There should be some individual school consolidation and eventually some areas will be forced to due to poor facilities and no funds to fix them or build new ones. I can understand parents and families being upset about schools closing but district consolidation should not be a touchy issue unless a high performing district is being forced to absorb a very low performing one. In Northeast MS there is no reason for Pontotoc City and County to be separate, nor New Albany and Union County or North and South Tippah. All six are solid or high performing and beyond politics and egos, literally no reason for different districts. There are many, many other examples but those are the three who jump out at me. 

 

I don't know how much political will there is for this but with the school choice fight about to go down and the logistics of it, things may look very different in Mississippi with public education. For those who are regular readers, I am as passionate about the need for district consolidation as I am how the MHSAA needs five classes at most. 

 

 

[maroontide06]

6 minutes ago, MSSportsGuy said:

School district consolidation is needed much more than individual schools in most areas. There is literally no reason to have two or three superintendents in some of these counties that are so small other than "it's the way it's always been". 

 

There should be some individual school consolidation and eventually some areas will be forced to due to poor facilities and no funds to fix them or build new ones. I can understand parents and families being upset about schools closing but district consolidation should not be a touchy issue unless a high performing district is being forced to absorb a very low performing one. In Northeast MS there is no reason for Pontotoc City and County to be separate, nor New Albany and Union County or North and South Tippah. All six are solid or high performing and beyond politics and egos, literally no reason for different districts. There are many, many other examples but those are the three who jump out at me. 

 

I don't know how much political will there is for this but with the school choice fight about to go down and the logistics of it, things may look very different in Mississippi with public education. For those who are regular readers, I am as passionate about the need for district consolidation as I am how the MHSAA needs five classes at most. 

 

 

If they were to consolidate all the districts here in Pearl River County, it would make the Superintendent very powerful and they would find a way to add more chiefs to make up for it.  They've already got so many more admins now than when I was in school.  They got this thing called a lead teacher, do you know what that is?  It's not a teacher, it's an admin.  Also, the superintendent position needs to go back to being an elected position as well.  That would be the only way mass district consolidation could work.

[Football In MS]

On 8/26/2025 at 10:34 PM, Rebel Bert said:

Brookhaven & Lincoln County

Pearl & Rankin County

Forest & Scott County

Laurel  & Jones County

Hattiesburg & Forrest County 

Richton & Perry County 

Columbia & Marion County

Picayune & Poplarville & Pearl River County 

Kosciusko & Attala County

Hazlehurst & Copiah County

East Jasper & West Jasper

Newton & Newton County 

Philadelphia & Neshoba County 

Enterprise Clarke & Quitman 

All of the Above have multiple school districts in county to my knowledge. 

FCAHS isn’t a small school. No need for consolidation there. They’re roughly the same size as Purvis & Sumrall. So unless you’re suggesting Purvis & Sumrall consolidate with Oak Grove, suggesting that FCAHS consolidate with Hattiesburg HS is non-sensical.

 

The schools that need consolidation are the 1 & 2As. Start there 

[Rebel Bert]

15 minutes ago, maroontide06 said:

If they were to consolidate all the districts here in Pearl River County, it would make the Superintendent very powerful and they would find a way to add more chiefs to make up for it.  They've already got so many more admins now than when I was in school.  They got this thing called a lead teacher, do you know what that is?  It's not a teacher, it's an admin.  Also, the superintendent position needs to go back to being an elected position as well.  That would be the only way mass district consolidation could work.

Pearl River is one of those counties that will be ok with 2. The smaller counties like Jasper and Scott need just 1.

[s1nglewing]

Lincoln County has one Superintendent.  Already consolidated. 

Brookhaven is a separate school district.

 

Are the  Smith County schools under one house?

[Rebel Bert]

2 hours ago, s1nglewing said:

Lincoln County has one Superintendent.  Already consolidated. 

Brookhaven is a separate school district.

 

Are the  Smith County schools under one house?

All 3 have 1 Superintendent 

[Rebel Bert]

2 hours ago, Football In MS said:

FCAHS isn’t a small school. No need for consolidation there. They’re roughly the same size as Purvis & Sumrall. So unless you’re suggesting Purvis & Sumrall consolidate with Oak Grove, suggesting that FCAHS consolidate with Hattiesburg HS is non-sensical.

 

The schools that need consolidation are the 1 & 2As. Start there 

Counties with multiple school districts 1A-4A.

[Chunky6617]

4 hours ago, s1nglewing said:

Lincoln County has one Superintendent.  Already consolidated. 

Brookhaven is a separate school district.

 

Are the  Smith County schools under one house?

Yes. One school district and one superintendent for 3 schools 

[Rebel Bert]

Brookhaven and Lincoln County Central offices can be consolidated. 

[s1nglewing]

8 minutes ago, Rebel Bert said:

Brookhaven and Lincoln County Central offices can be consolidated. 

Unlikely.

Lincoln Co. isn't a struggling school system academically and is financially stable.

I would lean more towards consolidation of counties like Bolivar, Coahoma, Covington, and Pike

[Rebel Bert]

According to Reeves speech at Neshoba County Fair he wants 20 to 50 school districts consolidated to save money not academics.

 

[s1nglewing]

19 minutes ago, Rebel Bert said:

According to Reeves speech at Neshoba County Fair he wants 20 to 50 school districts consolidated to save money not academics.

 

Def won't have 7 classes if that goes down 

[Rebel Bert]

10 hours ago, s1nglewing said:

Def won't have 7 classes if that goes down 

The bill will be worded in a way that suggests certain districts that are failing academically and struggling financially it is best to consolidate to one county school to improve academically (Leflore County) and save m9ney. Then class 3A Union County then can play football maybe. Wheeler, East Union, West Union and one more.

[s1nglewing]

7 minutes ago, Rebel Bert said:

The bill will be worded in a way that suggests certain districts that are failing academically and struggling financially it is best to consolidate to one county school to improve academically (Leflore County) and save m9ney. Then class 3A Union County then can play football maybe. Wheeler, East Union, West Union and one more.

Union Co is failing academically?

How's Taylorsville doing?

[Rebel Bert]

51 minutes ago, s1nglewing said:

Union Co is failing academically?

How's Taylorsville doing?

D, the numbers are going lower partly due to GP hiring process and fallout with former principal fooling with females. He was a buddy to former superintendent. His replacement didn't go to well another buddy buddy situation. She is gone now I think all but 1 or 2 of his peopleaelre gone. Those 2 are Raleigh people with let's say higher status. The former sheriff's brother remains the asst principal at Raleigh Elementary. Apparently he didn't want to move up. 

[FanofMSfootball]

14 hours ago, s1nglewing said:

Unlikely.

Lincoln Co. isn't a struggling school system academically and is financially stable.

I would lean more towards consolidation of counties like Bolivar, Coahoma, Covington, and Pike

Pike? Will NEVER happen and honestly I don't see the need. Pike will have 2 5A schools and possibly a 4A at next consolidation. 

[BigT]

Taylorsville was a c rating for the 23/24 school year, 24/25 hasn't been released yet according to MDE!

[Chunky6617]

3 hours ago, s1nglewing said:

Union Co is failing academically?

How's Taylorsville doing?

Tville is not failing, but they aren’t real high either. The problem Tville has is teachers leaving in high numbers every year. 

[BigT]

Maybe now with new administration they won't leave! They've been fully staffed each year even though they had some leave because of the last administration,especially the principal! 

[Rebel Bert]

1 hour ago, FanofMSfootball said:

Pike? Will NEVER happen and honestly I don't see the need. Pike will have 2 5A schools and possibly a 4A at next consolidation. 

That's what you have now.